CLEARWATER, Fla. — There is one Phillie who has started every Grapefruit League game. In fact, he will be in the lineup Friday against the Yankees, as well.

They don’t give out participation certificates to those who play in every spring-training game. But if they did, Ryan Howard would be on his way to a major award.

Oh, and he’s also knocking the cover off the ball.

In his sixth start in as many games Thursday against Atlanta, Howard had an RBI double off left-handed starter Paul Maholm in the first inning and a solo home run to left-center field off Braves closer Craig Kimbrel to lead off the fifth as the Phillies (2-3-1) mashed their way to a 10-5 win at Bright House Field.

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After having an alarmingly tough time against southpaws in 2012 when he returned from Achilles’ tendon reconstruction at midseason, Howard is 4-for-6 off lefties this spring and hitting .533 (8-for-15) with five RBIs overall.

His secret to success? A clear mind.

“I don’t want to analyze it. I’m done with thinking about it,” Howard said of his approach at the plate. “I’m just going out there, swinging. ... I think when I was going well before, that was the same thing. I think in recent years I was overanalyzing it, trying to do too much with it. Now I’m trying to take it back to the basics.”

“When Ryan talks about hitting,” Charlie Manuel said, “he talks about seeing the ball and how he feels. ... To me staying on the ball is important to him.

“Branch Rickey said, ‘Empty head, full bat.’ I don’t know if I go along with that.”

The hitting Howard has done is more than just a nice thing to see in late February. It also means he has had a lot of activity on the basepaths, and that has allowed him to get more comfortable and confident on his repaired heel.

Combine that with a strengthened leg from offseason workouts, and the big first baseman is feeling better both in the batter’s box and when he leaves it.

“It’s a lot different when you get a full offseason to train and build up the muscles,” Howard said. “Obviously it’s a lot stronger than where it was last year.

“(Manuel) talked about going out there, and I don’t want it to sound bad, but being out there, being able to play in game shape, getting my game legs. Right now I’ll keep running out there.

“I think getting in baseball shape, being on the dirt -- especially when the dirt gets dry, it takes a lot out of your legs -- and continuing to build up strength running on the dirt, the grass, uneven surfaces definitely plays a factor.”

Manuel joked that pitching coach Rich Dubee must be calling opposing pitching coaches and telling them to bring a couple more southpaws than they are advertising on their travel rosters, but that the heavy dose of lefties is doing Howard good.

“He’s been playing every day, and (opponents) have been throwing a lot of lefties, so he’s getting to see a lot,” Manuel said. He’s been hitting fastballs in on him, and that’s good.”

Asked if he thought he might get to have an early dismissal at some point like the rest of the veterans, Howard wistfully said, “Hopefully one day.”

If good play earns some time off, he certainly has hit that incentive.